Scarecrow: Carol of the Bells
by IBegToDreamAndDiffer
Summary: Shane Schofield's enjoying a nice, easy Christmas at Mother's. That is until Aloysius Knight makes a re-appearance, and the winter-landscape is turned into a battle ground. Just another day for the Scarecrow. [Schofield/Knight pre-slash]. See warnings inside.
1. Chapter One

**SCARECROW**

**CAROL OF THE BELLS**

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**Author's Note:**

**About: **So this is written for the competition on The Presidian over on Facebook. It's also my first MR fic, though I've written for other fandoms. The prompt was "Christmas". So I basically took that and warped it, threw in some action and swearing, and generally just had a good old time. Hopefully you enjoy the story :)

**Title: "**Carol of the Bells [Remix]" by August Burns Red

**Note: **Lyrics from "Carol of the Bells"

**Warnings: **Graphic violence, explicit language, boy/boy kissing, references to slash, and just general insaneness

**Disclaimer: **The world of Scarecrow and the characters in said world are the property of Matthew Reilly. I own nothing but the plot and make no money from this story.

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**Chapter One**

* * *

_"Christmas is here_

_bringing good cheer_

_To young and old_

_meek and the bold"_

* * *

It was Christmas, about 1300 hours, and Shane Schofield was enjoying a beer on Mother's back deck. It was the second year that he'd spent Christmas at Mother and Ralph's, and so far it was the same as the previous year.

Currently Schofield was the only person outside. The rest of the party was in the house because of how cold it was now that snow had started to fall. Inside Mother and her husband Ralph were catering to Buck Riley Junior, or Book II, Rebound Simmons, Astro Miller, Pancho Sanchez, Martin "Bigfoot" Wade, the newest member of Team Schofield, Private Diana "Checkmate" Douglas, and their respective partners.

It was a weird group, Schofield could admit. Various ages, races, and religions, but they were all brought together because they'd served under Schofield, had been to hell and back with him, Mother, and each other. Only Checkmate hadn't served with them yet, but she'd proved herself time and time again during training and the odd night when the unit went out to eat and drink together. She was a smart young woman who could hold her own, and always had the last laugh- hence the call sign.

Schofield smiled as he sipped his beer. His unit had gone through a lot of changes over the past few years, but they were still a strong, close-knit team. Only the best of the best served with the Scarecrow, and it didn't take much time for him and Mother to get new recruits up to their standard.

The door beside him opened and Schofield looked up from where he was sitting on the bench. The woman before him was young, only about 25, with rust-red hair, honey brown eyes, and pale, slim features. She was Diana Douglas' partner. Since DADT had been revoked months previously, a lot of men and women serving had come out. Schofield was glad; he didn't care who slept with who. As long as they could fight and protect their fellow soldiers, everyone was right by him.

There was also the little fact of Schofield having been attracted to- and having dated- men in the past. It wasn't something he advertised about himself, and he still hadn't told anyone since DADT had been recalled. Checkmate and her girlfriend seemed to know, though; something they called "gaydar". Schofield just smiled and left them to it. He'd never understand women.

'Oh, hello,' May said when she spotted Schofield. 'Didn't know anyone was out here.'

'I just needed a moment,' Schofield said.

May nodded and lit up a cigarette, sucking in a lungful of air and blowing it out before turning back to the captain. 'The strong silent type, eh?'

'Yeah,' Schofield smiled.

May chuckled and took another drag of her cigarette. 'Do you want one?' she asked and offered him the packet.

'I don't smoke,' Schofield shook his head.

'Good, it'll kill you,' May said pleasently.

'So why do you smoke?' the Marine asked.

'Got hooked when I was seventeen,' May shrugged. 'Diana's trying to get me to quit, but I'm not good at giving up.'

'I'm sure you'll get there one day,' Schofield said and took another sip of beer.

'Hopefully,' May said and crossed her fingers. She gestured at the bench Schofield was sitting on and said, 'Mind if I sit?'

'Not at all,' Schofield said and moved over so she could sit down.

May sat beside him and the two lapsed into silence. The back deck was covered, but that didn't protect them from the soft, cold wind that was blowing snow across the wood beneath their feet. May shivered slightly and tugged her coat further around her body.

'Maybe you should go inside,' Schofield suggested.

'Naw, Ralph got all pissy when I went to light up,' May said. 'Besides, it's not my house; gotta stick to the rules.'

Schofield smiled. He liked May; she was smart, sharp as a whip, and had no problem stating her opinion, even to a room full of hard-assed Marines like Schofield and his unit.

'So did you come out here to think about something in particular?' May asked suddenly. 'Or just needed some time?'

'Just some time,' Schofield said. When May snorted he turned to her. 'What?'

'Sure you're not thinking about what Diana and I said last night?' May asked.

Schofield cringed at the memory. They'd all headed over to Book II's apartment to meet his fiancée, Jordan, and have a few drinks and dinner. Jordan had been talking about her gay brother, discussing his coming out story with Diana, when May had tugged Schofield aside and suggested that _he _come out too.

Of course Schofield denied it. He was good at that; pretending he was completely, 100% straight; that he didn't often leer at or fantasise about other men; that he hadn't experimented during high school, or in training, or way back when he was a pilot; he also denied, vehemently, that he'd ever dated another man.

It wasn't that Shane was embarrassed or ashamed of who he was. He'd long ago come to terms with the fact that he liked men just as much as he liked women. Though he didn't like labels, he supposed he was bisexual. Really, Shane just preferred to think of himself as Shane Schofield; he liked men and women, it didn't really matter, it didn't change who he was.

_But _he'd been a Marine since he was practically a kid. Before DADT, homosexuality wasn't allowed in the armed forces. And DADT didn't really change that; men and women had to hide who they were, had to pretend they were as straight as the majority of their fellow servicemen and women. If Shane had been caught, if it had been known that he had sex with men too, he would have been Dishonourably Discharged, his career in ruins, his life destroyed.

And even though, _finally, _President Obama had revoked DADT, had even allowed same-sex marriages in Washington, Shane had been hiding for so long that he honestly didn't know how to come out. Did he just bring it up in conversation? Did he start openly appreciating the men he found attractive? Or did he start dating a guy and bring him home to meet Mother and the rest of his family?

It was easier for women like May; she was younger, her generation, the people she associated with, they were fine with it. Shane was a Marine; being gay, or bisexual, whatever, still wasn't as accepted as it was in civilian life.

Schofield didn't realise he'd been lost in thought until May nudged him in the ribs.

'Ow, sorry,' he apologised quickly and rubbed his chest.

'I didn't mean to upset you or anything,' May said, sounding concerned. 'When we first met I thought everyone knew until Diana told me.'

'Told you...?' Schofield echoed.

'That you're, you know, in the closet,' May whispered.

'I'm not in the closet,' Schofield huffed.

May smirked. 'Really? So you're _not _hiding the fact that you like men?'

'Well... not hiding so much as... well...'

Shane cursed when May started giggling. 'Sorry, sorry,' the young woman apologised. 'I didn't mean to upset you, honestly. I really thought you were open about it.'

'How do you even know?' Schofield demanded. 'And if you say "gaydar" I won't be responsible for my actions.'

May smiled but leaned back, rolling her cigarette between nimble fingers. 'Well... it's just... the way you are,' she shrugged. 'I'm not saying that you act overly gay or anything, but the way you speak, the way you look at other men, I just _knew_.' She looked back at Schofield, who was picking at the label of his beer bottle. 'Diana knew too, as soon as she met you.'

'Really?' Schofield asked without looking up.

'Mm-hmm,' May nodded. She blew smoke from her mouth and continued, 'She also knew you weren't "out", as they say, so kept it to herself. Even with DADT abolished, it doesn't mean the armed forces are gay friendly.'

Schofield nodded slowly.

'But I think your unit would be okay with it,' May said.

'How do you know that?' Schofield asked softly. Truth was, he was scared. The great Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield was _scared_; terrified that his friends, the people he trusted with his life, would turn their backs on him just because he liked men too.

On some level he knew it was stupid; not one of them had a problem with Diana being a lesbian. But still, the fear was there; fear that had been instilled in Shane from his childhood. Getting beaten up by the local jocks because you were caught kissing another boy was a memory that still haunted Shane, even now.

'They love you,' May said simply. 'And they respect you. That's not going to change because you like men.' She turned to face him. 'Look, I just think you should tell them. They'll understand that you kept it secret because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. What they _won't _understand is why you kept it hidden _after _that was revoked _and _after one of your unit came out.'

Schofield sighed as he thought about her words. Everything May was saying was right. But still... you didn't get over three decades of fear in one afternoon.

'How'd you get so wise?' Schofield asked, turning to face the young woman.

'I'm a woman; we're all geniuses,' she stated matter-of-factly.

Schofield snorted. 'Yeah, so I've heard.' He thought about Libby, as he often did these past two years, and felt a small smile grace his lips. He still missed her, his heart still ached with longong, but he could remember the good times without breaking down. She had been smart, open, honest; just like May. And, just like May, she didn't take shit from no one.

He looked up when May reached over and patted his arm. 'You don't have to come out right now,' May said, 'just think about it.'

Schofield nodded.

'And if you need any help, Diana and I are here, alright?'

'Thanks,' Schofield said honestly.

'Not a problem, Captain,' May smiled. She finished her cigarette and stood. Schofield watched as she put it out in the snow before pocketing the butt. 'Coming back in?' she asked.

'Few minutes,' Schofield answered.

May nodded and Schofield watched as she disappeared back into the house, the sounds of laughter and music wafting out before the door shut behind her.

Schofield sighed and leaned back, chugging down a quarter of his beer. He wondered what the others would say when he _did _come out. They'd be shocked, no doubt. Maybe even one or two would be disgusted, wondering if he was going to come onto them. Or, maybe, they already knew and were just waiting for him to admit it.

Shane was lost in his thoughts, only vaguely registering the sound of a car pulling up harshly out the front, followed by the sounds of doors slamming shut. He didn't break from his thoughts until two black-clad figures burst through the side gate and around the house.

Schofield's mouth dropped open. There, standing on the snow-covered grass, was Aloysius Knight and his pilot, Rufus.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, yeah... my first MR fic, so it's probably OOC and it most likely sucks. But I'm posting the first chapter (there will only be about four) now so I know whether or not to continue the story. Let me know what you think :)

Cheers,

{Dreamer}


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

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_"One seems to hear_

_words of good cheer_

_From everywhere_

_filling the air"_

* * *

Shane was frozen to the bench, unable to fully comprehend just what he was seeing. Which was strange, really; his life and career were ruled by strange.

When Knight breathed a sigh of relief, a hand going to his chest as he fought for breath, Schofield leapt to his feet.

'Knight? What are you doing here?'

'Thank God I found you,' Knight replied and Schofield's brow wrinkled in confusion.

'You've been looking for me?'

'It's times like this... having your cell number... would be helpful,' Knight gasped before straightening. He adjusted his amber-tinted glasses and looked up at Schofield. 'So... how have you been?'

'How have I... what are you doing here?' Schofield repeated.

'You know, a "Hey, how are you?" wouldn't kill you,' Knight grumbled. Beside him Rufus was running his thumbs over an iPhone.

'Knight-'

'There's a situation,' Knight interrupted and Schofield paused. 'Is your unit here?' Knight asked.

'Inside,' Schofield said and gestured over his shoulder. 'Why?'

'Maybe it's best I say this in front of everyone,' Knight said.

Schofield could only nod as the other two men climbed the stairs up onto the back deck. Knight smiled at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

'It's good to see you, Scarecrow.'

'Yeah...' was all Schofield could manage before leading the way inside.

The house had been decked out in the usual Christmas decorations; a tree in the corner covered in baubles and candy canes; tinsel, streamers, and coloured banners that read "Happy Holidays" hanging from the walls. There was mistletoe hanging from every doorway- Mother had already cornered Schofield four times- and drinks and food had been laid out on every available surface.

Most of the group was confined to the living room. Schofield could see Mother and Ralph talking to Riley and Jordan near the fire place, while May was sitting on Checkmate's lap on the couch. Sanchez and Bigfoot were either side of the ladies telling wild stories and Astro and Rebound were playing around with the music system in the corner. Millie, Astro's girlfriend, and Abigail, Rebound's girl, were both standing by the tree laughing together and touching each other's clothes.

Schofield led Knight and Rufus into the kitchen and held up a hand to stop them. 'Maybe I should warn everyone?'

'Good idea,' Knight said and poked Schofield in the back. 'Off you go, hero.'

Schofield rolled his eyes at the nickname but headed into the living room anyway. Mother turned when he entered and gave him a big smile.

'There's my favourite guy.'

'What about me?' Ralph pouted.

'Aww, I still love you,' Mother grinned and pinched his cheek.

Ralph chuckled and Schofield smiled at the couple. He hoped to have that one day; a partner who understood him, quirks and faults included.

'Listen, Mother, there's somethin' I wanna talk to you about,' Schofield started.

'What is it, Buttercup?' Mother asked and chugged back on her beer. From the way her cheeks were flushed, her grin widening with every second that passed, Schofield assumed she'd had a few.

'Well, there's someone here...' Schofield said, 'in the kitchen.'

'A late party comer?' Mother asked. 'Well tell 'em to get their ass in here.'

'Uh... might be best if you come see them,' Schofield said.

Mother raised both eyebrows but Schofield merely stood there, blank-faced and waiting. Finally she chugged down the remainder of her beer and set the bottle on the mantel.

'Alright, let's go see what trouble you're in this time.'

_Why does she assume it's _me _in trouble? _Schofield thought as he led Mother back to the kitchen. He pushed the door open and stood aside to let Mother through. She took two steps into the tiled room before halting, eyes widening as they rested on Knight and Rufus.

'Hello, Mother,' Knight smiled while Rufus waved from behind him.

'Ah... 'lo,' Mother said. She turned back to Schofield. 'What the hell have you gotten us into now?'

'Me?' Schofield spluttered. He pointed at Knight, 'He just turned up, I haven't done anything!'

'Eh... well, that's not _exactly _true,' Knight said. Schofield and Mother both looked at him. 'See, I was doing a job; some bounty hunters needed a guy, I knew where said guy was, they promised me a cut if I delivered him to them... you know how it goes.'

'And...?' Schofield demanded.

'Well... turns out, that between me accepting the job, and me trying to deliver the guy, these bounty hunters found out my connection to you,' Knight said.

Schofield frowned. 'Our connection?'

'You know... how I saved your life twice and all,' Knight said.

'Right...' Schofield was still confused, and Mother looked as lost as he did.

'These bounty hunters are... French,' Knight said. Schofield felt his heart skip a beat. 'And it turns out the French have a problem with Shane Schofield.'

'Oh God,' Schofield groaned and rubbed his face.

'They tried to kill me, but Rufus saved my ass,' Knight said.

'Happy to help,' Rufus grinned and Knight threw a smile at him.

'Anyway, I snuck into the base and found out you were here,' Knight continued, facing Schofield and Mother once more. 'If _I_ could, then-'

'The French bounty hunters will find out too,' Schofield finished for him.

'Exactly,' Knight nodded.

'Fuck,' Schofield swore and dropped into a seat at the kitchen table.

'How many?' Mother asked.

'Thirty,' Knight said. 'All highly trained ex-soldiers, all with firepower, and all with a thirst for Scarecrow's blood.'

'Fuck,' Schofield repeated. 'Is there anything we can do?'

'They were right behind me when I left the base,' Knight said. 'They'll probably be here in...'

'Ten, twenty minutes,' Rufus supplied.

'Right,' Knight nodded.

'So we have to leave, _now_,' Schofield said and jumped to his feet. He immediately slipped back into captain mode and Mother turned, waiting for orders. 'Mother, tell everyone what's happening and get them out of here. You and Ralph leave too, no questions.'

'Got it,' Mother nodded, all traces of alcohol gone. She hurried into the living room, leaving Schofield with Knight and Rufus.

'Well, this has been fun,' Knight smiled and clapped his hands together. 'Now if you'll excuse me-'

'No!' Schofield snapped and grabbed Knight by the jacket. He and Rufus were both wearing all black; trousers, jackets, shirts, and boots. Rufus even had a black cap over his hair. 'You stay with me until we find out exactly who these bastards are.'

'But I already told you,' Knight said.

'I don't give a shit,' Schofield growled. 'You're staying here.'

'You gonna stop me?' Knight asked.

Schofield took a step closer until they were eye-to-eye, toe-to-toe... well, they would be eye-to-eye if Knight wasn't goddamn taller than him. Schofield had to bite back a growl at that knowledge, and he watched as Knight raised an eyebrow, a smirk ghosting his face.

Talking a calm breath, Schofield tilted his head up slightly, staring into Knight's eyes, and said, 'Watch me.'

Silence descended, each man glaring the other down, with Rufus watching in the background. The music in the other room suddenly cut out and there were the sounds of panicked voices, as well as hurried footsteps.

Knight blinked and offered the Marine a smile. 'Alright, Captain, have it your way.'

Schofield nodded curtly and Knight led the way back out to the deck. He, Schofield and Rufus rounded the house, went through the side gate, and came out in the front yard. The others were still inside, and Schofield spotted a black SUV parked haphazardly, blocking off Ralph's large truck.

'You can ride with me and Rufus,' Knight said.

'Great,' Schofield drawled.

'No need to be rude, Scarecrow,' Knight muttered.

Just as they reached the SUV, the sounds of tyres skidding, of engines being revved, hit the three men. All of them turned and spotted six heavy-duty SUVs similar to Knight's driving down the street.

'Well shit,' Knight commented.

'That them?' Schofield asked.

'Mm-hmm,' Knight said while Rufus nodded.

Before Schofield could say anything else, Knight was ripping open the boot of the SUV and Rufus was diving into the backseat. Schofield watched as the two men pulled out boxes.

'Give us a hand?' Knight grunted.

'Guns?' Schofield asked.

'Oh yeah,' Knight grinned. 'If they're gonna try and kill me, I'm taking some of the bastards with me.'

'You never change, Knight,' Schofield shook his head as he quickly grabbed some heavy boxes and started dragging them up the lawn.

'Would you want me to?' Knight called after him.

{oOo}

Schofield, Knight and Rufus had barely got inside before the French bounty hunters pulled up. Mother and Book pushed a bookcase up against the door, while Astro and Bigfoot moved all the civilians to the bathroom.

'Astro, Bigfoot, you stay with them!' Schofield ordered as Knight passed him first two semi-automatic pistols- already loaded and which Schofield stuffed into the waistband of his jeans- followed by an M16A2 rifle and a couple of magazines. 'Do I want to know where you got these?' Schofield asked as he snapped a magazine into his gun.

'Probably not,' Knight said good-naturedly as he continued passing out M16s. Mother barely raised an eyebrow at the weapon, instead filling her pockets with ammunition.

'This is crazy,' Sanchez said from behind Mother. 'Fucking bounty hunters in suburban fucking America?'

'That's the Scarecrow for you,' Knight said.

'Me?' Schofield hissed. 'You're the one who brought them here!'

'I didn't know you'd pissed off the entire French goddamn country when I mentioned your name in passing!' Knight growled.

'You should've kept your mouth shut!' Schofield snapped.

'Easy, boys,' Mother interrupted. 'We've got a serious problem here, and you two can bitch about this later, alright? Now...' she rested her M16 against her shoulder and grinned, 'let's show those French fucks what we do when they invade my house.'

Schofield looked around at his team and grimaced. There were nine of them; Schofield himself, Knight, Rufus, Mother, Book, Sanchez, and Checkmate in here, while Astro and Bigfoot were down the hall protecting the civilians.

Nine marines with a collection of weapons against thirty well-armed French bounty hunters.

Well... Schofield had had worse odds before.

Schofield's eyes darted up to the window and he caught sight of the French bounty hunters spliting up.

'Knight...' he said slowly and the dark-haired man looked up at him, 'you got any grenades in there?'

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know it's completely unbelievable; I mean, bounty hunters just turning up in your backyard, really? But this is a story set in Matthew Reilly's world, where nothing makes sense, rules don't matter, and Schofield kicks motherfucking arse! :)

{Dreamer}


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

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**Warnings: **Graphic violence

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_"O, how they pound_

_raising the sound_

_Oer hill and dale_

_telling their tale"_

* * *

Schofield pulled himself up the ladder between the cabin of Ralph's truck and the trailer, his foosteps practically silent on the rungs. Above him Sanchez was already crawling onto the top of the trailer, and below him Knight was waiting- somewhat impatiently- for his turn.

Schofield huffed in annoyance when Knight slapped him on the leg.

'Hurry up there, hero.'

'Shut it,' Schofield hissed and swung himself up onto the roof of the trailer. He heard Knight scaling the ladder below, but ignored him in favour of crawling across the roof. Sanchez had situated himself at the very end, M16 against his shoulder. 'Any sign, Pancho?' he asked quietly.

'Five or ten over the other side of the house,' was Sanchez's whispered answer, 'about seven just ahead of us. I don't know where the others are.'

Schofield nodded and glanced over when Knight joined them, the three men lying side by side.

'You ready?' Schofield asked Knight.

'Oh yeah,' Knight said and gingerly pulled four grenades from his pockets, passing two to Schofield. 'Are _you _ready, Scarecrow?'

'As I'll ever be,' the captain murmured. He keyed the comms unit in his ear- yet another wonderful gift from Knight's boxes of goodies. 'Mother, Book, Astro, you all in position?'

'_At the backdoor, Scarecrow_,' came Mother's gruff, half-whispered voice.

'_Got the side covered, I count seven bad guys_,' Book answered.

'_The civilians are hold up in the bathroom_,' Astro said. '_We've got 'em covered, Captain_.'

'Good work,' Schofield said. 'When the shit hits the fan, all of you be ready.'

'_Can't wait_.'

'_Roger that_.'

'_Got it_.'

Schofield took a deep breath and glanced at Knight. The man nodded, eyes alight with adrenalin behind his amber-tinted lenses. The two turned back to peer over the roof of the trailer. Ahead of them, creeping up the side of the house, were seven bounty hunters clad in black and blue fatigues, all with machine guns at their shoulders. Their eyes were mostly focused on the house, but their gazes swept along the backyard every few seconds.

Schofield knew it was part of the human condition to not look up; he didn't know why, but most people didn't, even trained soldiers. So he was fairly certain he, Knight, and Sanchez were safe up on the trailer.

You know, until they started things with a _bang_.

Schofield moved the two grenades Knight had passed him and set them gingerly before him, making sure they didn't thump against the metal roof. The last thing he needed was to give away their position before he was ready.

So they waited patiently- well Schofield and Sanchez waited patiently, while beside Schofield Knight was practically jiggling with energy- until the seven man unit who'd circled their side of the house reached the open area between the back deck and side fence.

Schofield swiftly turned to Knight, nodded, and grabbed the grenades. Knight was the first to pull the pin on one and lob it over his head. Schofield followed, and they armed the other two grenades which followed in quick succession.

'Cover!' Schofield ordered through his comms before covering his head.

The grenades all hit the ground just behind the group of bounty hunters, who didn't turn because the snow muffled their impact. Five, four, three, two, one-

- the first two grenades exploded, sending snow and dirt up in the air. Screams burst from the group of French soldiers but were drowned out by the other two grenades exploding. More snow and dirt was kicked up, as well as spurts of blood from the bounty hunters who were hit.

Almost immediately, Sanchez opened fire from atop the trailer, while on the other side of the house Book and Checkmate smashed the windows they were standing before and started firing at the other group of French soldiers.

Schofield crawled back across the trailer, Knight hot on his heels, and the two men slid down the narrow ladder and hit the tray of the truck. Schofield leapt off and hit the snow running, slinking down the side of the trailer towards the road with Knight following.

The marine ducked his head around the corner and almost immediately drew back. 'Found some more,' he told Knight and brought his M16 up.

About five bounty hunters had remained on the front lawn (where the other lot were, Shane didn't know) and they were heading straight towards the explosion. Schofield waited until they were a bit closer before once again popping out of hiding, this time opening fire.

It was a strange experience; Schofield was more than used to shooting at the enemy, but not in the middle of a suburban street. He could only hope that Mother's neighbours were wise enough to stay indoors and call the police as soon as they heard the gun shoots.

The French soldiers scattered, shooting at Schofield as they did, and the Scarecrow ducked back behind the trailer, the rear tyres protecting his legs.

'I'm curious,' Knight shouted over the gunfire, over the sounds of metal ripping as bullets impacted on the thick walls of the trailer, 'are your holidays always like this?'

'More or less,' Schofield answered and Knight shook his head. When the gunfire grew less intense, Schofield once more ducked out of hiding, his eyes quickly sweeping the area. Three soldiers had taken refuge on the veranda, the other two hiding behind the line of rubbish and broken furniture Schofield, Book, and Ralph had placed on the lawn earlier that day.

'I knew I shoulda thrown that out,' Schofield muttered to himself as he fired. He watched as one French bounty hunter was clipped in the shoulder, blood misting the air before he fell back. Schofield withdrew and Knight took over, his shoulder taking the brunt of the recoil as he fired.

Suddenly Mother appeared at the main window, using the butt of her M16 to smash the glass. She shouted, 'Merry fucking Christmas!' as she fired, taking down the three soldiers who were hiding out on the veranda.

Their bodies fell to the wood with loud thumps and Mother ducked back inside when bullets sprayed her way, ripping holes in the front of the house and sending splinters of wood and shards of glass exploding in every direction.

From one of the second-storey windows, Rufus and Rebound appeared, taking shots at the men in the backyard and helping cover Sanchez, who was pretty much in the open. Around the other side of the house, Book II was crouching as he reloaded, beside him Checkmate popping up and ducking down at intervals to try and take down the bounty hunters creeping along that side of the house.

Schofield took over from Knight, who had to reload, and when he ducked around the end of the trailer, he spotted a bounty hunter making a break for it. He pulled the trigger of his M16 and watched snow and tar spit up as the bullets impacted with the lawn and driveway, but unfortunately not with the enemy. The bounty hunter dove under the trailer and quickly wiggled beneath, making Schofield swear harshly.

'Take over, we got one under the trailer!' Schofield shouted.

Knight immediately moved into action, aiming for the soldiers who had appeared at the other end of the lawn, no doubt having run from Book and Checkmate.

Schofield swung his gun around but it was knocked from his grip by the French soldier. Schofield acted immediately, closing the distance between them and wrapping his fingers around the barrel of the man's own weapon. He tugged and twisted, managing to wrangle it from the soldier's grip.

The man snarled and snapped the gun up, catching Schofield in the chin and throwing him off balance. The Scarecrow recovered quickly and brought his fist up, connecting with the man's jaw and sending him staggering into the trailer.

Schofield fell on him, the two batting away fists and elbows, trying to find an opening, a weakness that could be used to bring the other down. Schofield dodged a jab to the face, an elbow to the gut, and a knee to the groin, all the time his ears straining to listen to Knight behind him, and his unit fighting all around.

He heard bullets tear through the trailer from Sanchez's end, and then the Marine himself rolled right off the roof and landed on the snow. He swore and stumbled to his feet, back pressed to the trailer, and turned quickly to see Schofield land a blow to the French bounty hunter's throat.

The soldier choked, eyes bugging, and Schofield got in another one, two hits before grabbing the man by the face and pulling him down. His knee slammed into the Frenchman's face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. Schofield let him drop and grabbed his M16.

'We got seven coming 'round!' Knight shouted.

'Under the trailer!' Schofield ordered and Sanchez immediately ran to him and rolled under. Knight let off another burst of gunfire before following Schofield, and the three men crawled across the freezing cold driveway as footsteps came from their right, gunfire from there left.

An explosion rang out from the other side of the house, and through his comms Schofield heard Mother shout, '_How do you like me now, fuckers?_'

'She enjoys this a bit too much,' Knight commented in a pant.

'You have _no _idea,' Schofield said as he, Sanchez and Knight all popped up on the other side of the trailer. He keyed his comms and said, 'Book, we're heading your way.'

'_Roger that, Scarecrow_.'

'Move it,' Schofield ordered. Knight and Sanchez followed him across the lawn, and they'd just reached the end of the veranda when the snow behind them seemingly blew up. The sounds of bullets were loud in Schofield's ears as he and the other two men ducked around the side of the house.

Checkmate appeared in the window to Schofield's left and said, 'We took most of this group out, but some went back your way.'

'We got a few,' Schofield told her.

Behind him, Knight asked, 'Rufus, talk to me.'

'_Took out five with the grenades; me, Rebound and Sanchez took out another four out back._'

'We got two,' Knight said.

'_I took three_,' came Mother's voice.

'And we got four,' Book told them.

'That leaves twelve,' Schofield said.

'_I see six near the trailer_,' Mother said over the comms.

'_Four to the right, taking cover behind the gazebo_,' Rebound informed them.

'So where the fuck are the other two?' Knight demanded.

As if on cue, the fence to their right was suddenly exploding with bullet holes, showering them in splinters. Schofield and Knight ducked but Sanchez was clipped in the shoulder. He fell heavily against the house, but before he could get hit again Checkmate was dragging him through the window and into safety.

Knight grabbed Schofield by the scruff of the neck and the two ran down the side of the house, footsteps muffled by the thick snow covering the lawn. Knight fired over his shoulder and Schofield covered their left, shooting in the general direction of the gazebo.

The two men suddenly found themselves near the backfence and Schofield immediately turned the picnic table onto its side, creating a poor shield, but a shield non-the-less. He dragged Knight down behind it and the spot he'd been standing exploded with gunfire, showering the two men in snow.

'Why's it always the fucking French?' Schofield muttered as he reloaded.

'Hey, this is all your fault,' Knight said and Schofield turned to him, looking incredulous. 'They heard I'd let you live,' Knight continued and ducked as gunfire slashed overhead. 'They were a bit ticked off I didn't take the opportunity to kill you way back when.'

'Oh, well, I completely forgive you then,' Schofield muttered sarcastically.

'Don't get cute with me,' Knight growled. He popped up and pulled the trigger on his machine gun.

Knight dropped back down and more shots rang out, slicing through the wood above them. Knight looked unperturbed; just checked his weapon, made sure the magazine was full, and smirked at Schofield.

'I can't believe you're enjoying this.'

'Aren't you?' Knight countered.

Schofield shrugged. Well, he _was _enjoying it. It was one of the reasons he'd become a Marine, after all; danger, adventure, and the chance to be a hero. Though after all the shit that had happened to him in the past few years, he was done being a hero.

'So how many are left?' Schofield asked as Knight peered around the edge of the picnic table. The burst of gunfire nearly deafened Schofield, but thankfully he was used to it.

'Dunno; twelve or so,' Knight shouted as he continued to fire.

Schofield keyed his comms again. 'Pancho, how you doing?'

'_Flesh wound, clipped my shoulder_,' Sanchez responded. '_Nothing a bandage and some thread won't fix_.'

'Good to hear it,' Schofield said while beside him Knight covered them again. 'Rebound, report.'

'_Took down four, sir_,' Rebound said over sounds of gunfire.

'That leaves eight,' Schofield quickly counted off.

'_Make that six_,' Mother said gleefully.

Schofield smiled. 'Enjoying yourself there?'

'_Fuck yeah!_' Mother hollered. '_Mother fuckers think they can fucking shoot up _my _house? I think not!_'

Schofield laughed before asking, 'Bigfoot, Astro, you doin' okay?'

'_Nothin' to report in here, Captain_,' Bigfoot replied.

'Good,' Schofield said. He wanted the civilians as out of the way as possible.

'_Aloysius, Captain, you've got three heading up Book and Checkmate's side, three still in the gazebo_.'

'Roger that, Rufus,' Knight replied.

'Rebound, you help out Book and Checkmate,' Schofield said. 'Rufus, you stay upstairs and cover us as best you can.'

'Got it_, Captain_,' Rufus replied.

'Mother, wanna give us a hand?' Schofield asked.

'_Fuck yes_.'

Schofield took a deep breath and checked his magazine again. 'Right,' he said. 'Knight, I think we can skirt around the back fence, using the trees for cover. We can sneak up behind the gazebo and take those fuckers by surprise.'

When Knight didn't answer him, Schofield turned-

-and Knight kissed him.

Knight.

Kissed.

Him.

_Him_, Shane Schofield! Aloysius Knight, the Black Knight, was kissing _him_, Shane Schofield, the Scarecrow, right there, in Mother's backyard, while all around them a violent gunfight was being conducted between Marines and French bounty hunters.

And oh _God _was it glorious.

Shane found himself melting into the kiss, his lips melding against Aloysius'. The other man's breath was hot against his face and lips, and one gloved hand was twisting through Shane's short black hair, tugging him closer, cutting off any hope of retreat Shane had.

Not that he wanted to retreat, that is.

He held his M16 tightly with one hand, while the other wrapped around Aloysius' neck to pull him closer. Shane's lips were pried apart and suddenly Aloysius' tongue was licking at his teeth, at his own, dancing and twisting and sending lust surging through Shane's body.

They had to break apart for air and both men sat there, breathing heavily against each other. Shane looked up slowly and Aloysius gave him a smile.

'What, we might die; I don't wanna go out without having kissed Shane Schofield.'

'Right...' Schofield said and swallowed thickly. 'And, uh... exactly how long have you wanted to kiss me?'

'Since we met, Shane, since we met,' Knight smiled.

'Right...' Schofield repeated. 'Um-' He was cut off when Knight kissed him again, and for once Shane didn't want answers; he didn't want to know if Aloysius was gay, if he'd always liked him, if this was just a one-time thing or if this would lead to sex and an actual relationship. For once he was just happy to sit there, ignoring the battle around him, and get his tonsils thoroughly examined.

And examine Aloysius did; his tongue flicked against Shane's teeth, his gums, explored the cavern of his mouth thoroughly until twisting, dancing with his own. The two men swapped saliva, heated breath, Shane's arm never leaving Aloysius' neck, Knight's fingers still gripping his short hair and tugging his head roughly.

'Hey, you two can play grab-ass later!' came the voice of Mother from right in front of them.

Shane and Aloysius broke apart quickly, Scarecrow's eyes widening as he spotted her.

'What?' Mother said nonchalantly as she reloaded her machine gun. 'So you like a little dick, so what?'

'Mother!' Shane hissed.

'_Who likes a little dick?_' came Book's voice.

'Don't deny it, your lips are swollen and bruised, Scarecrow,' Mother snickered. Shane scowled and scrubbed at his face.

'_Our fearless leader, obviously_,' Checkmate tutted.

'So, since when are you and the Black Knight shacking up?' Mother asked as she snapped the magazine into her gun.

'_What?_' came the incredulous shouts of a fair few Marines. Shane swore he could hear Rufus and Checkmate laughing.

'Since never,' Schofield scowled. 'Let's drop it, alright?'

'Kissed and dumped in five minutes; you work fast, Shane,' Knight smiled as he crouched beside the other man.

'I didn't... that's not... fuck off!' Schofield snapped.

Mother and Knight both laughed.

'We're talking about this later,' Schofield warned both of them.

'Ooh, I'm shaking,' Knight said.

'I would be,' Mother commented.

'Shut up and shoot some French bounty hunters!' Schofield ordered.

'Aye, aye, Captain,' Mother saluted before popping up to fire over the picnic table.

'Knight, you're with me!' Schofield growled. The Black Knight smirked but did as asked. With Mother covering them, the two men raced across to the trees that lined the backfence. They kept moving, ducking and weaving, not stopping when the trees were hit, sending bark and snow exploding around them.

The two dove into the snow behind the gazebo just as Book said, '_We took out our three, that just leaves the bastards in the gazebo_.'

Schofield thanked whatever deity was or wasn't up there that nobody had died yet. But still, the show wasn't over until the fat lady sang, as the saying went. They still had four fuckers to take care of. And then they'd still have to deal with the aftermath.

Knight was already crawling forward through the snow- Shane was _so _not staring at his ass!- and Schofield saw that the four French bounty hunters taking refuge in the gazebo were shooting at the house and the picnic table Mother was still hiding behind.

Schofield glanced at Knight, who nodded, and the two slowly crept up to the gazebo and got to their feet. Schofield opened fire while Knight leapt over the railing, and the four Frenchmen dove aside trying to avoid the fire. One was hit by Schofield, keeling over and going still, while Knight pointed his M16 at one, but the man was too close and managed to kick it from his hands.

Knight snarled and kicked the man in the stomach, sending him reeling back into the railing. The bounty hunter recovered quickly and was all over Knight, the two exchanging blows and dancing around each other, each making a play for the Frenchman's weapon.

Schofield opened fire on the remaining two, but one managed to hoist himself over the railing and drop out of sight. The second ducked and weaved before he was suddenly in Schofield's face, lashing out, and once again Schofield found his M16 knocked from his hands.

It didn't stop him fighting back, though, and he gave as good as he got; parrying each blow, eyes trained on the other man, entire body poised and waiting for an opening to either hit the man or grab one of the handguns in the waistband of his jeans.

Knight was thrown to the wooden floor and the Frenchman he was fighting managed to close his hands around Knight's abandoned M16.

Just as the Frenchman turned, gun up, Knight suddenly whipped out a handgun and shot the man between the eyes. He was thrown back, dead, and Knight rolled over to avoid another bullet from the second soldier who'd popped up from the lawn.

A gasp of pain from Knight had Schofield turning at the wrong moment, his concentration diverted. The bounty hunter he was fighting landed a strong, solid punch to his jaw, making Schofield reel. The other Frenchman was taken out when Knight pulled the trigger of his pistol, and the man fell against the snow, dead.

Schofield looked up to see the last Frenchman alive raising a pistol, eyes gleaming at the thought of killing the indestructible Shane Schofield.

Schofield's eyes widened, waiting for the gunshot-

- a single shot rang out, and blood sprayed Schofield's face. He watched as the soldier fell to the deck, dead, and looked up.

'Thank you, Rufus,' Knight said and hustled to Schofield's side.

'_Not a problem_,' the pilot said over the comms.

'You alright?' Knight asked, his tone laced slightly with concern. Schofield shook his head; no, he must be hearing things.

'Yeah,' he said and took the hand Knight offered. The bounty hunter helped him to his feet and Schofield said, 'Thanks.'

'Any time,' Knight answered. The two stood there staring at each other before both realised they were still holding hands. They pulled away at the same moment, eyes diverted, and Schofield swallowed the lump in his throat as Knight looked around. 'Well,' he said when he surveyed the damage, the afternoon suddenly silent. 'Merry Christmas, huh?'

Schofield rolled his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted, but I've been kidnapped by The Avengers fandom and I've done nothing but read Loki/Tony stories for the past few days. I'll be posting the final chapter tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed this one :)

Also, I was going to make the fighting a lot more interesting, and have Schofield do some typical awesome-death-defying-insane Scarecrow shit, but I've reached the word limit for the competition. Next time though, eh? :)

Cheers,

{Dreamer}


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

* * *

_"Gaily they ring_

_while people sing_

_Songs of good cheer_

_Christmas is here!_

_Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!_

_Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!"_

* * *

After a thorough search of the area, the civilians were ushered into the living room. Ralph swept most of the debris off the floor and furniture so everyone could sit and passed around coffee and strong alcoholic drinks. The Marines had grouped together and found that as well as Sanchez's minor injury, Rebound had been grazed by a bullet too, Checkmate had a cut on her cheek from flying glass, and Book II had jarred his back a bit jumping out of the line of gunfire.

Apart from some minor cuts and bruises, everyone had fared alright in the end. It was one of Schofield's most successful missions, it seemed.

Schofield and Knight had remained outside, while most of the other Marines retired to the house. Mother was surveying the damage from the back deck and Rufus was picking his way around the yard.

'Well,' Knight said and adjusted his amber-tinted glasses. He gave Schofield a smirk as he said, 'That was fun.'

'Oh, goddamn _amazing fun_,' Ralph grumbled from beside Mother as he looked over his destroyed backyard. 'Look what you did!'

'Ralph, this stuff tends to happen around the Scarecrow,' Mother told her husband. 'And Knight.'

'Hey, I didn't _mean _for this to happen,' Knight said and slotted his handgun into the back of his pants. 'I was doing a job; you know, grab a guy, hand him over, get some money, and then I'd be gone. But _noo_, Schofield here has to fucking piss off the French over and over again until they're so annoyed they start a firefight in the middle of fucking suburbia just to kill him.'

Schofield was looking over the damage- the dead bodies, the blood-stained snow, the shattered windows and walls and back deck- as Mother said, 'I'm used to it, Knight. With the Scarecrow, even Christmas turns into a firefight.'

'What exactly are we going to tell the police?' Ralph questioned.

'The truth?' Book II tried. 'The captain has pull with the President, we shouldn't get in trouble, right?'

'We were defending ourselves,' Astro added.

Mother just smiled and started heading into the house.

'Where are you going?' Schofield asked.

'Calling the cops,' Mother called over her back. 'You know, if the neighbours haven't already. Bunch of nosy fucks.'

Schofield nodded and watched as Ralph, Riley, and the rest of the team started filing in. He stayed standing in the middle of the yard with Knight while Rufus started searching the French soldiers.

When Schofield looked at the pilot, Knight said, 'Waste not, want not.'

Schofield rolled his eyes and headed for the picnic table that had survived the fight mostly unscathed... you know, besides the bullet holes and all.

He pulled it up until it was sitting upright again and fell to sit heavily. Schofield groaned, pushing his silver Oakleys up to rub his eyes. How the hell had Christmas turned into _this_?

'I thought you'd be used to this by now,' Knight commented.

Schofield didn't look up, but he could feel Knight sitting next to him. 'Usually if I'm in Antarctica, or some remote government facility, yeah,' he nodded. 'Not in Mother's backyard.'

'What about the whole bounty hunt thing?'

'Don't remind me.'

Knight snorted and leaned back against the table, his legs stretched before him, arms dangling either side. The two men were silent as they slowly let what had happened sink in, as the adrenalin rush that came with fighting for your life petered away to be replaced by numbness.

'Thanks,' Schofield said suddenly.

Knight cocked his head. 'What for?'

'Coming to warn me,' Schofield said and turned to face him. Knight was regarding him from behind his amber-lenses. 'You could have left, but you didn't.'

'I helped you out before, didn't I?' Knight said. 'Not like it's the first time.'

'Mm,' Schofield said and rubbed his eyes again. He leaned back too, his arm brushing against Knight's. Neither moved or even mentioned it. 'Still, thank you.'

'You're welcome,' Knight said.

They fell into silence again as they surveyed the damage and watched Rufus pick various weapons from the dead soldiers and from the ground. Inside they could hear the rest of the Marines and their spouses talking about what had happened. Schofield knew his team could handle themselves, it was the civilians he was worried about. Nobody deserved to have this thrown at them, especially on Christmas.

'It's not your fault,' Knight commented.

'How isn't it?'

'You were doing your job each time you pissed of the French,' Knight told him. 'It was you or them. And every time you killed _them_, but they failed to kill _you_. Just like this time. Don't blame yourself, Shane.'

Schofield turned at the use of his first name and Knight gave him a smile.

'What? Doesn't anyone call you Shane?'

'My nan,' Schofield said and Knight snorted. 'So I can call you Aloysius?' Schofield asked.

'Don't start,' Knight growled.

'No, I think this is a step forward in our relationship,' Schofield grinned. 'We can hang out, get some beers, talk about the time bounty hunters came to kill me-'

'Twice,' Knight interjected.

'- and how through it all we retained our friendship,' Schofield finished.

'And how I saved your ass twice,' Knight added.

'Mm,' Schofield nodded.

'Anyone ever tell you you're an odd man?' Knight asked.

'A few,' Schofield chuckled and stretched. Knight's eyes followed the movement but he looked away when Schofield said, 'A fair few, really.'

'Well you are,' Knight said.

'I got that.'

Once again, silence descended. Schofield and Knight both found that the silence between them was comfortable, nice; like they didn't have to fill it with awkward small talk. The two had been through this before; people had shot at, stabbed, and tried to blow them up. Schofield knew exactly what Knight was feeling and vice versa.

Schofield found it slightly comforting. Knight was someone he didn't have to explain things to. Like him, Knight preferred the quiet. He preferred to keep his emotions inside where he could dissect and study them himself. Schofield would always love his team, but even Mother wanted him to hash it out and talk about what he felt. And while sometimes that was helpful and made him feel better, most of the time Schofield was a man who preferred the quiet.

Thankfully Knight was the same.

The silence wasn't broken until Rufus padded across the snow, arms and pockets loaded with weapons. Knight looked up at him. 'Find anything good?'

'Lots,' Rufus smiled and looked at Schofield. 'Captain,' he said with a nod.

'Rufus,' Schofield nodded back. He looked at Knight. 'You leaving?'

'Yeah,' Knight said and stood. Schofield stood too. 'I might not be a wanted man in the States anymore, but I don't want to be around with the FBI or whatever turns up.'

'Just leave me to deal with the mess?' Schofield asked as they started walking.

'It's what I do best,' Knight smirked and Schofield chuckled.

The three men headed across the yard, through the blown-apart gate, and out onto the street. There were sirens in the distance, and they could see people peeking through their curtains staring at them.

_All in a day_, Schofield mused as the three reached Knight's SUV.

'So,' Schofield said as Rufus started loading weapons into the back. 'I guess I'll be seeing you at the next French firefight?'

'Maybe,' Knight said. He leaned against the black car and folded his arms, giving Schofield an appraising look. 'Or I could see you next weekend at the bar around the corner from your base.'

Schofield raised an eyebrow.

'What?' Knight shrugged. 'Cold beer, friendly chats about all the people who want us dead; what's more to want?'

Schofield blinked at him before smiling. 'Yeah,' he finally nodded, 'I'd like that.'

'Good,' Knight said. He suddenly looked awkward as he unfolded his arms and stood. Before Schofield could say anything, Knight had leaned forward and pulled him into a one-armed hug. Schofield felt his face flush and patted the other man's back awkwardly. Behind them Rufus grinned to himself as Knight and Schofield broke apart.

Before Schofield had a chance to say anything, Knight was kissing him again. It started off chaste; just a gentle brush of lips, a hint of what could come. But Shane didn't want _chaste_. He grabbed Knight by the face and tugged him closer, crushing their mouths together as his lips started moving.

Aloysius was frozen in shock before he eagerly returned the kiss, fingers groping at Shane's hips until they found purchase. Shane tilted his head to deepen the kiss and moaned softly when Aloysius' tongue ran across his lips. He opened his mouth, accepting the other man's tongue, and the two once again exchanged heated breaths, soft moans, and even softer licks.

Finally they broke apart, Shane with his eyes closed, Aloysius licking his lips as though to savor Shane's taste.

Loud cheers and catcalls came from behind them and Shane turned just enough to see Mother, Checkmate, May and Book II watching from the front door.

'This isn't a show!' Shane shouted and the three marines, one civilian, just grinned and whistled again before going back inside.

_At least I don't have to "come out", _Shane mused to himself.

'Well,' Knight said and Schofield looked back at him. 'I'll see you then.'

Schofield let him go and said, 'You haven't given me a time or date.'

Knight smirked, pulling the driver's side door open and sliding in. He slammed the door shut and wound the window down so he could be heard.

'No, I haven't,' he nodded.

'So...'

'I'll see you later, Shane,' Knight said and started the SUV.

Rufus waved to the Marine and climbed into the passenger side. Schofield blinked rapidly, still confused, but raised his hand in farewell.

'Seeya later... Aloysius.'

Knight gave him a smile before he was pulling away and driving down the street. He passed three police cars, an ambulance, and a fire engine as he went.

_Great, _Shane thought with a groan as the emergency vehicles sped towards him. He brushed a hand through his slightly-damp hair and turned to look at the house. Bullet holes littered the wooden structure, and there was glass and debris all over the snow-covered lawn.

Shane started walking back to the house. He could hear Mother and Ralph arguing about who was going to clean the mess up, as well as Astro and Riley fighting over who killed more French bounty hunters. Checkmate and May were discussing Shane's kiss and giving him sly looks. Shane smiled as he climbed the steps up to the veranda.

_This has to be the weirdest Christmas I've ever experienced_, Shane mused as he leaned against the wall, waiting for the cops to get out of their cars and question him. Then he thought about Knight, the way they'd fought side by side, the looks and the brief touches and the plans they had for next weekend.

Then Shane remembered the kisses, the heat, the pure _lust _that surged through his body when Knight kissed him.

He touched his cracked lips, fingertips soft as they ghosted over them. He can't help but wonder what it's be like to kiss Knight again; to drag the bounter hunter down until their bodies were melded together.

_It wasn't so bad, _Shane thought as he let his fingers drop. And maybe, just maybe, drinks at a bar with Knight won't be so bad either.

Shane couldn't help but smile.

_Merry Christmas to me_, he thought.

* * *

{THE END}

* * *

**Author's Note: **And thus ends my very first Matthew Reilly fic. I hope you guys enjoyed it, including those who don't use yet read this (if there's any of you). I really appreciate the support :)

I have to give a shout out to **Bastetian **for getting me to write a Matthew Reilly fanfic. She's written some amazing stories, and told me all about the Facebook group, as well as encouraging me to give writing an MR fanfic a try. Also a special thanks to **Black666Hunter **for your continued support of this story. You guys are awesome and thank you so much :)

Anyway, happy holidays.

Cheers,

{IBegToDreamAndDiffer}


End file.
